Tennis net



H. A. BURMAN May 3, 1955 TENNIS NET Filed Nov. 10, 1948 6 5 i w Wm WM i aw viJjill -l m 0/ M ma United States Patent TENNIS NET Harold A. Burman, Chicago, Ill., assignor, by mesne assignments, to The Linen Thread Co., Inc., Paterson, N. J., a corporation of Delaware Application November 10, 1948, Serial No. 59,354

9 Claims. (Cl. 273-29) This invention relates to a game net and has for one object to provide a game or playing net which, when suspended in the playing position, will have substantially vertical edges.

Experience has shown that a playing net, such as a tennis net, when fastened in playing position, will not have straight or vertical edges. If such a net is made of a rectangular section of netting and is suspended in the playing position, no matter how tight the top and bottom edges may be drawn by the holding rope or by other means, the ends of the net away from the ropes will sag inwardly and present a curved appearance. This is a bad feature of all playing nets. It is always desirable that the end portions be straight. When the net is suspended, as shown in figures herewith, the ends should not sag away from the supports. It is, therefore, one object of the present invention to provide a net construction in which sagging of the ends of the net is prevented and in which the ends of the net are straight and substantially vertical when the net itself is formed of a rectangular member.

Other objects will appear from time to time in the course of the specification.

This invention is illustrated more or less diagrammatically in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure l is a side elevation of a tennis net in position for use;

Figure 2 is a side elevation on an enlarged scale of a portion of the end of such a net before completion; and

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 showing the net of Figure 2 completed and under tension in position for use.

Like parts are indicated by like numbers throughout the specification and drawings.

In the form shown, the net is formed of a plurality of cords 1, 1 which are positioned generally parallel to each other. Transverse cords 2, 2 are positioned parallel to each other and at right angles to the cords 1. joined or connected to those cords by knots, or otherwise, as at 3.

The end of the net is shown in Figures 2 and 3. As shown in these figures, certain of the cords have been cut away or removed from the upper corner of the net. Exi actly the same treatment is normally given to the lower corner of the net so that the net is cut away or reduced in length at each end adjacent its upper and lower corners. As shown in Figure 2, the upper corner of the net has been cut away at the top as follows: First, one mesh has been removed, as at x; then two meshes, one above each other, have been removed at y; and, finally, a single mesh has been removed, as at z. The removal of these meshes is, in effect, a cutting ofit' of the corner of the net. Experience has shown, however, that it is preferable to cut off the corner in the manner indicated.

After the upper and lower corners of the net have been cut off or removed, a binding tape 4 is added to the end and the meshes at the end are engaged in this binding tape. mally, it is a member folded upon itself to overlie both sides of the end of the net and it is held together by rows They are t This tape may be of any desired construction. Nor- 2,707,635 Patented May 3, 1955 ice of stitches 5. These stitches lie within the end cord or strand 6 of the net. That part of the edging or binding 4 which overlies the cut away or reduced corners of the net is positioned to overlie and engage the knots 7, 7 of the cut away portion and the stitches 5 lie within these knots so that they are engaged between the folds of the binding or edging 4. r

The upper edge of the net is ordinarily finished by a binding or finishing member 8 which may be formed of a strip of fabric folded upon itself. The upper cord or strand 9 of the net is engaged within this fabric and rows of stitches 10 hold the edges of the fabric together, and these stitches are positioned preferably below the cord or strands 9. A rope or cable 11 is positioned within the space enclosed by the finishing member 8 and this rope is supported upon and fastened to the standards 12 in any desired manner. As shown in Figure l, the rope passes over rollers or sheaves 13. Its ends are engaged upon rollers 14 which may be rotated by handles 15. The means and apparatus for fastening the ends of the rope 11 are well known in the art and only so much of them is shown as is necessary for an understanding of the invention. The invention is to limited to any particular means for suspending or tightening the net. The net is ordinarily finished at its lower edge by a binding strip 16 which may be similar to or identical with the strip 8. A rope or cable 17 passes through or is attached to the strip 16 and is fastened to the standards 12 in any desired manner.

in particular, the net may originally be made rectangular and the upper and lower corners may be cut oif, or the net may originally be woven or otherwise made with reduced corners. The invention is therefore not limited to the idea of making a truly rectangular net and subsequently reducing its corners. When the net is originally made,

the corners may be initially made of reduced size and therequirernent of the invention is satisfied by the manufacture of a net which is of reduced length along its upper and lower edges and is of increased length intermediate its upper and lower edges.

Although I have shown an operative form of my in vention, it will be recognized that many changes in the form, shape and arrangement of parts can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and my showing is therefore to be taken as, in a sense, diagram matic.

The use and operation of this invention are as follows:

After the net has been prepared in the form shown in Figures 2 and 3 particularly, the ends will normally not be completely straight. Since the top and bottom corners at the ends have been cut off or reduced, the net will initially be shorter at its top and its bottom than it is above the bottom and below the top. When, however, the net is mounted and tension is applied to it by means of the ropes 11 and 17, the top and bottom parts are stretched and hence the portions which include the cut away upper and lower corners are stretched. Since no direct tensioning means is applied to the net intermediate its top and bottom, that portion of the net which lies between the cut away corners is not stretched as much as the upper and lower parts of the net. Therefore, the net tends to equalize itself in length, and when the normal tension is applied by the net as it is mounted, it assumes a rectangular position with substantially horizontal upper and lower edges and substantially vertical sides or ends and the sides or ends do not sag away from the supports and do not assume the inwardly curved position which is normally typical of nets as manufactured at present.

The net of this invention, therefore, because it is somewhat shorter at the top and bottom than it is intermediate the top and bottom, will, when not under tension, assume a position which is not truly rectangular, but under tension it assumes a truly rectangular position with vertical ends or edges.

I claim:

1. In a non-sag net, a section of netting, said section of netting at and, adjacent its upper and lower edges, being of reduced length relative to the length of the remainder of said section, the reduction in length being generally progressive from the greatest length to the least length and tension applying means along two oppositely placed edges of said net.

2. In a non-sag net, a section of netting, said netting at and, adjacent to opposite parallel edges, being of reduced length relative to the length of the remainder of said section, the reduction in length being generally progressive from the greatest length to the least length and tension applying means along two oppositely placed edges of said net.

3. In a combination in a non-sag net, a section of netting, said section of netting at and, adjacent its upper and lower edges, being of reduced length relative to the length of the remainder of said section, and a plurality of finishing strips, each being engagingly secured to an upper and a lower reduced edge and to the portion intermediate said reduced edges, the reduction in length being generally progressive from the greatest length to the least length and tension applying means along two oppositely placed edges of said net.

4. In a non-sag game net, a section or netting formed of intersecting strands, said strands being secured together at their points of intersection, said section having its greatest length intermediate its upper and lower edges and being progressively reduced in length from said section of greatest length toward its upper and lower edges, and means for applying tension to the upper and lower edges of said net.

5. In combination in a non-sag game net, a section of netting formed of intersecting strands, said strands being secured together at their points of intersection, said section having its greatest length in the portion thereof intermediate its upper and lower edges and being progressively reduced in length from said section of greatest length toward said upper and lower edges, and a pair of finishing strips, each being secured to one end of said net and engaging an upper and a lower reduced edge and the intermediate portion of greatest length.

6. In combination in a non-sag game net, members defining a section of netting, said members comprising a first set of parallel cords and a second set of parallel cords intersecting said first set, said cords being joined together at their points of intersection, said net comprising a main portion of generally rectangular plan and an upper and a lower portion of progressively reduced length, and a pair of oppositely placed finishing bands secured to the ends of said not and engaging said portion of generally rectangular plan and said portions of progressively reduced length.

7. In combination in a non-sag game net, members defining a section of netting, said members comprising a first set of parallel cords and a second set of parallel cords intersecting said first set at right angles, said cords being joined together at their points of intersection, said net comprising a main portion of generally rectangular plan and an upper and a lower portion of progressively reduced length, and a pair of oppositely placed finishing bands secured to the ends of said net and engaging said portion of generally rectangular plan and said portions of progressively reduced length.

8. in a non-sag game net, a section of netting, said section of netting having its greatest length between two of its opposite edges and being progressively reduced in length from said section of greatest length toward the said opposite edges, and tension applying means along the upper and lower edges of said net for applying tension to the upper and lower zones of said net and thereby substantially equalizing its length.

9. In combination in a non-sag game net, a section of netting, said section of netting having its greatest length between two of its opposite edges and being progressively reduced in length from said section of greatest length toward the said opposite edges, and a pair of finishing strips, one being secured to each end of the net, each finishing strip engaging the portion of greatest length and the reduced edges adjacent said portion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 497,662 Heudrickson May 16, 1893 1,556,046 Taylor Oct. 6, 1925 1,813,717 Webster July 7, 1931 FGREIGN PATENTS 415,591 Great Britain Aug. 30, 1934 

